Chapter 39: The Night of Her Decision And The End Of Patience

Night had settled over the apartment by the time Elsa and Ayesha prepared for bed. The building creaked occasionally, and distant noises drifted through the ruined city, but neither woman had the energy to pay much attention to them.

Elsa checked the bandage around her arm before settling beneath the blanket. Ayesha had already changed and was getting ready to sleep, hoping they would have a quiet night.

Zarek had spent much of the evening resting. His injuries were still bothering him, particularly his ribs, but he had recovered enough to move around the apartment without showing too much discomfort.

Ayesha had seen the blood on his clothes when he returned, and the sight had reminded her of just how dangerous the man they were living with could be.

He had gone out alone and returned alive after encountering something that had apparently killed several people.

For a while, she had hoped he would remain in his room for the rest of the night.

Then Zarek spoke.

"Ayesha, come here."

She turned toward him, finding him seated nearby with his attention fixed on her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Come over. I want to talk to you."

There was nothing particularly unusual about the request, but something in his tone made her hesitate. She glanced at Elsa, who was busy arranging her pillow, then slowly approached him.

Zarek waited until she was close enough to hear him clearly before speaking again.

"My patience is running out. I’ve waited long enough, and I’m not interested in putting this off anymore. You’re coming to my room tonight."

For a moment, Ayesha couldn’t find the words to answer him.

She had known this day might come. Zarek had never hidden his interest in her, and she had understood that staying with him came with expectations she didn’t want to face. Knowing that hadn’t made her any more prepared.

"Tonight?" she repeated, hoping she had misunderstood him.

"Yes, tonight."

He spoke as though he had already settled the matter in his mind, leaving little room for her to pretend that he was merely asking for a conversation.

Ayesha lowered her gaze, trying to gather her thoughts while an uncomfortable knot tightened in her stomach.

She had spent the past several days worrying about monsters, scarce supplies, and the possibility that she might not survive another encounter with the things roaming the city.

Somehow, this conversation made her feel just as helpless as she had when facing those dangers, although the person standing in front of her was human.

At least, he looked human.

She had seen enough of Zarek to understand that appearances meant very little.

"Can you give me more time?" she asked quietly.

Zarek regarded her for a moment.

"How much more?"

Ayesha opened her mouth, but no answer came. She could not offer him a date or promise that her feelings would change after another week.

She did not know whether she would ever feel comfortable with him, and pretending otherwise would only make the situation worse.

She had once imagined sharing her first time with someone she trusted, someone she wanted to be close to. Zarek was nothing like that person.

She had seen how easily he killed, and she knew his interest in her had nothing to do with the kind of affection she had once hoped to find.

"I don’t want this to happen like this," she admitted, her voice growing quieter toward the end.

The words hung between them, and she struggled to meet his eyes afterward.

Zarek did not respond with the reassurance she had secretly hoped he might offer.

Ayesha understood that much from his silence, which made it difficult to ask him again.

Across the room, Elsa had stopped arranging her pillow.

She had heard the conversation, and the meaning behind Zarek’s words was clear enough that she did not need to look at Ayesha to understand what was happening.

Surprise held her still for a moment, but it quickly gave way to an uncomfortable awareness of the position she was in.

She glanced toward Zarek, then at Ayesha, who stood beside him with her shoulders tense and her hands clasped tightly together.

Elsa glanced at Ayesha, then looked away. She could say something, but what would happen if Zarek turned his attention toward her instead? The thought kept her quiet.

She pulled the blanket higher and faced the wall, hoping he would leave her out of it. She didn’t like what was happening, but she was too afraid to involve herself.

Ayesha noticed her movement from the corner of her eye.

Ayesha glanced toward Elsa, waiting for her to say something. Anything.

Elsa turned toward the wall.

Ayesha looked away, swallowing the words she had been about to say. She understood why Elsa was staying quiet, but that didn’t make facing Zarek alone any easier.

Zarek rose from his seat, taking care not to put too much strain on his injured ribs.

The movement reminded him that he had not fully recovered from his fight with the creature, but he was tired of spending the evening doing nothing while the rest of the world continued to change around him.

His attention returned to Ayesha.

"Come on."

He turned toward his bedroom without waiting for another answer.

Ayesha looked toward Elsa one last time, but the other woman remained turned toward the wall.

She had no idea what would happen if she refused Zarek, and she couldn’t bring herself to test it. After a moment, she followed him across the apartment, her steps slower than usual.

The distance to his room was short. By the time she reached the doorway, she had run through every excuse she could think of, only to realize that none of them would change what Zarek wanted.

Zarek reached his bedroom first and opened the door. He stepped aside, leaving enough room for her to enter, then waited while she stood at the threshold.

Ayesha paused at the threshold. The room was ordinary, almost disappointingly so, with a bed and a small table pushed against the wall. Nothing about it reflected the weight of the decision waiting inside.

She stepped in, and Zarek followed. The door clicked shut behind them.

Elsa stayed awake beneath her blanket, staring at the wall. She tried to convince herself that she had made the safest choice by staying out of it, but the thought offered little comfort. Eventually, she closed her eyes, though sleep did not come easily.